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Home > Jeff Schultz > Archives > 2008 > August > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTrotter runs despite the pain
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Beijing — The number eight is considered lucky in Chinese culture, so much so that Beijing hoped to create some good karma by opening the Olympics on 8-8-08 at 8:08 p.m. Michael Phelps isn’t arguing. He just won eight gold medals.
But Dee Dee Trotter? She’s probably more into numerology, where eight sometimes is considered the number of destruction.
Phelps just completed his dream Olympics.
Trotter just passed through the alternate universe.
Three weeks before the U.S. trials, her car door sprung back and slammed into her knee. Despite significant knee damage, the former gold medal winner out of Cedar Grove High somehow made the Olympic team any way. Then she arrived in China, only to discover her luggage was still in Atlanta.
At some point, she should’ve taken the hint.
A few minutes before her semifinal race of the 400 Sunday, Trotter was still in a dressing room, as trainers desperately tried to make her knee not feel like someone was taking a jackhammer to it. She finally came out, ran the race and finished in seventh.
Anybody who wanted to demoralize eighth-place finisher Nwal Eljack of Sudan only needed to tell her that she lagged behind someone who’s about to have major knee surgery.
A bone chip will be removed from Trotter’s left knee soon. There’s also a good possibility that doctors will replace a portion of the knee with bone from a cadaver.
Expected length of rehab: nine months. Eight, if she’s lucky.
At least she gets to keep the cool warm-ups. And think of all those air miles.
“I actually feel fortunate that I even made it here,” Trotter said. “If there was any year where I wasn’t going to make the Olympic team, this was it. I could’ve been sitting at home, wrapped and braced.”
She’ll be there soon enough. Sudden recovery aside, she’s not going to run in a relay for the United States.
“I’d love to win a gold medal,” she said, “but I’m not going to be selfish and put the team at risk.”
Trotter was joined in Beijing by her mother. You can’t miss her. She’s the nice lady with the broken ankle. It seems she recently stumbled while walking down the stairs. The whole family needs to go on a cruise.
“We look like two Humpty Dumptys,” Trotter said.
Do they give out gold medals for simply enduring?
Trotter won a gold medal in Athens on the 4x400 relay team. Last year, she upset her teammate, Sanya Richards, the Olympic gold medal favorite, in the World Outdoor Championships. She was a legitimate medal possibility in Beijing until she was in her garage in Knoxville, opened the car door to get out, stuck out her left leg and the door sprung back. An MRI revealed the bone chip. The bone chip led to swelling. The swelling led to a plan.
“We went into NFL mode,” she said. “It was like, ‘OK, we need to get ready to play.’ “
She and doctors planned a six-week schedule of daily intensive treatment to lead up to the track competition. The six-week plan worked for three weeks.
Trotter had surprisingly qualified at the trials with a time of 50.88 — three seconds faster than she had been running a week earlier. The knee didn’t feel great but she was managing.
“It was like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound,” she said.
On Monday, Trotter said she ran a 150-meter sprint in 16.8 seconds, a personal best. The next morning, the knee grew a grapefruit out the side. The past few days have been a struggle. Trotter almost didn’t make it out of the preliminary round Saturday. On Sunday, she almost didn’t make it off the training table.
“Until Tuesday, I thought I was ready to roll,” she said. “Then things started going downhill and I just started falling apart.”
There is good news. The luggage arrived after a few days. Lucky her.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Beijing Olympics
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By steverino
August 17, 2008 10:41 PM | Link to this
yawn
By JSS
August 18, 2008 12:57 AM | Link to this
Put down the cell phone next time and learn how to run the first 200 Sanya Richards and you might make a final some time…
Dang who at the AJC assignment desk just hates the fans of athletics so much to keep subjecting us to this tripe? 12 days of goat manure and counting!!!
By Weese
August 18, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this
Dont listen to dip wads like steverino and JSS.
Its an honor to even make it to the Olympics and be considered one of the best in your country!
Go Dee Dee!
~A friend from the old days at the arena
By Ricky
August 18, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this
BORRRRRRING. Boo Hoo lady. Run a story people actually care about. No one cares. I’m glad she hurt her knee.
By Macon Countyline
August 18, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
I’ve never been one to enjoy the sports where people run all over the field or skate all over the rink to put a ball or puck into a net.
But who knew there were so many babes playing field hockey. Oh my, what a delicious sport that is.
By JSS
August 18, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
Yeah go Dee Dee, straight back to the garage in K-ville… She knew she was hurt, and was not up to par… But she made the ego choice and not the wise choice… Now, step aside for the 4 x 4 and let Allyson Felix come in AND give the TEAM a chance to bring home a gold medal…
She needs to actually a fast first 160m for once in her life… That is not Trotter’s strength… Dee Dee is no Dave Wottle, you can only lag the field when you have unbelievable speed…
And stay off that cell phone…
By Reid
August 18, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this
My guess is that the “critics” in these cmments can’t even run around the block. On two good knees. So why should anyone expect you to appreciate an athlete who isn’t on the cereal box you stiff your face from each morning?
By Belinda
August 18, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
To think, with the injury you have and to still place in the OLYMPICS, you go girl. Your more then average your supreme.
By Joy Jones
August 18, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this
Thanks Mr. Schultz,
Dee Dee is my niece. It is nice to read about all that is going on.
Joy Jones
By Manny
August 18, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this
Wow. Did a football game occur Saturday?
By B Johnson
August 18, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this
All I can say is WOW! To everyone who posted something negative on here. It’s quite obvious that none of those that posted something snide about someone who has sacrificed a lot to compete on the World’s largest stage have never remotely taken part in anything competitive. I’m an athlete myself, and to compete in the Olympics is one of the greatest honor any athlete can have. So for you sideline Monday morning quarterbacks that are oh so critical maybe you should get out there and start training tirelessly, endure the pain it takes to train at that level, not to mention having to deal with the little mishaps that do occur in everyday life (because if you didn’t know athletes themselves are human and live everyday lives like everyone else and yet still have to compete). So until then one should probably cease all negative commentary. Dee Dee keep doing your thing girl. Good luck with rehab and congrats on your achievements past present and future. I guess you can add a few more haters to your list.lol - an old friend and fellow athlete
By Reid
August 18, 2008 5:47 PM | Link to this
My guess is that the “critics” in these comments can’t even run around the block. On two good knees. So why should anyone expect you to appreciate an athlete who isn’t on the cereal box you stuff your face from each morning?
By Elaine Holden
August 18, 2008 7:08 PM | Link to this
Dee Dee, has worked so very hard to get where she is today and I’m is so very proud of her. For those of you who truly know Dee Dee, you know why she made the decision to run in this year’s Olympics. She represented our country honorably, as we know all great athletes endures an injury at one point in their career and they bounce back ever so stronger, as Dee Dee will. I love you and I’m praying for your speedy recovery! You’re Simply the Best! Auntie Laine